The Nightmare Known as Skyrim
by Chaotic-Creativity47
Summary: Sanguine wasn't a woman to complain, but things had been getting rather complicated. Vivid dreams of distant life or perhaps memories... As pieces of her past come to find her again, she finds her hands full and the weight of Skyrim lying on her family's shoulders.
1. Prologue

This, ladies and gentlemen, would be the prologue. It will be frequently updated at first, giving descriptions to the main characters of this story. The first three chapters will be Sanguine's back story and how the main characters came to be. It is not the main plot of the story, which will take a little bit to get into. So remember to frequently check here if you want better descriptions of characters and events.

All Elder Scrolls content is copyright to Bethesda. Rated M for violence and dirty, dirty things. If you don't want to read the kinky stuff, it will be marked with a slash in the beginning and at the end, allowing you to skip any of it.

The story will be split between original quests and characters and following the actually story line of Skyrim and its characters.

With that being said, move on to the next chapter and enjoy! :)

Sanguine:

She is an albino Dunmer, simply meaning that she has pale-humanlike skin and only her irises are red. She has long, black curly hair that hangs to her waist and of course, she rocks some pointy ears. She is only 5'5 and can be generally described as having an hourglass figure. She also has a thing for rubies (which are red, not orange) and roses, especially if they are white roses that have been painted red. She doesn't know why, though.

Lucien LaChance:

He is an Imperial and the Speaker of the Cheydinhal Sanctuary. He resembles the lead singer of 30 Seconds to Mars (banging band) with longer black hair (kind of emo, if you will). He comes out to about 5'10, with a slimmer, but well-muscled figure. Usually wearing shrouded robes.

Lysona:

She is Breton with light tan skin and honey brown eyes. Her hair is a dark blackish-brown and hangs slightly passed her shoulders. She is 5'7 with some modest curves. She likes crocheting... A LOT.

Cicero: Haha, everyone knows Cicero the Imperial. He rather short at 5'6, sporting a fine head of red, shoulder-length hair and a figure much like Lucien's. He is Keeper of the Night Mother and was Sanguine's Silencer. He is partial to carrots and sweet rolls, as well as stabbing.


	2. Several Shades of Sanguine - Part One

Author Notes:

Here you are, the result of too much free time. The first part of Sanguine's back story.

UPDATE: Okay, so I just was not happy with the way this chapter was written and decided to revise it. Hope you like it!

* * *

Sanguine was a Dunmer, an albino Dunmer to be exact. Born on the island of Solstheim, 4th of First Seed, 3E 382. Her parents had owned a farm, just outside of Raven Rock. Living a quiet and simple life, she couldn't have asked for more.

You see, the island wasn't the miserable, ash-covered wasteland it is today. Many moons ago, it had been a lush and beautiful place, with rolling fields and flowers unlike anything she'd ever seen. She would walk up to the Skaal Village at night, where they would teach her things like alchemy, hunting, and even some Restoration from the village shaman. Most of the Skaal did not prefer the company of a Dunmer, but because of her humanlike appearance, they were more accepting and considered her one of their own. Even the Imperials of Raven Rock had been rather kind. Raven Rock was originally an East Empire Trading Company settlement. But in the early fourth era, the Dunmer took over, after the eruption of the Red Mountain when the High King sold Solstheim to Morrowind, in 4E 05.

When Sanguine turned 32, she had set out to Skyrim to join the College of Winterhold. While this may sound odd, she was very young by Dunmer standards, probably equaling out to a 16 year old human. As with most of the Mer species, they matured rather quickly and aged very slowly.

She had only stayed for about 10 years; mostly studying the arts of Alteration, Conjuration, and even Illusion. On occasion, she would dabble in Destruction and Restoration, but it didn't last very long. Sadly, they weren't very tolerant of necromancy being studied... Openly. So, one day she went beneath the college into the Midden to see if there was a place to pursue her research. She came upon a room and in the center, upon a pillar, was a Gauntlet with the Daedric letter "Oht" glowing in the palm.

"What in Oblivion..." she murmured to herself and turned to a nearby table. A book called The Midden Report was laying on top, curiously, she flipped through the pages.

_The missing students were found in the Midden this morning. Dead, as expected. None of us bothered keeping a detect life charm for the search at this point._

_The bodies were found together, each suffering the same deformities; peeled and bubbling skin on the arms and face. Conjurer's burn, as it's commonly referred to around the College. There's little doubt they were attempting a summoning ritual well beyond their capabilities._

_The relic nearby put any doubt in this theory to rest. I admit that I've never seen one like it - a large, segmented sculpture of a gauntlet, the Daedric sigil 'oht' emblazoned upon the palm. Attempts to move it were in vain. I must show it to Archmage Sedoth during his upcoming visit. Perhaps he will know more._

_While we couldn't move the relic, I was able to pry four "rings" from it. I'm sure there's a connection between them and the ritual the students were attempting._

_I'll store these in The Arcanaeum until we can consult with a conjuration master to learn more._

She set the book back down and stared curiously at Gauntlet. "Just in the Arcanaeum, you say?" She pondered for a moment on just how smart it would be to possibly summon a daedra... _It could be fun..._ Her subconscious was telling her it was a bad idea. But she had been so bored of doing such menial studies. Besides, a little entertainment never hurt anyone, right?

Running back up to the main hall, she waited until around midnight and sneaked into the Arcanaeum, after tripping over everything in the dark room, she finally found the chest and 7 lock picks later, managed to get it open. In the bottom of the chest were the four rings, amongst other things. "I hope this is worth it," she whispered. Still wondering if it was a good idea to summon a dremora that killed several other students, she ran back into the Midden Dark once again. She had gotten lost originally, cursing whoever designed the bloody College, but managed to find her way back to the room. Bracing herself, she put all the rings on the Gauntlet, but nothing happened.

"Are you fucking serious?" she bitched, taking the rings off and trying them in a different order. That didn't work either. So, she repeatedly took them off and tried a different combination, until the Gauntlet closed into a fist. Then four skulls materialized, spinning in a few circles and disappeared with a Dremora taking their place.

"Where am I? You! Out with it!" he demanded, clutching two scimitars.

"Easy there, Slayer. You're at the College of Winterhold, in the Midden," she explained.

"Ah, I was beginning to think the day would never come," he growled. "So you broke my binding spell, did you? It matters little."

"Well you seem as sweet as apple pie, but it's time to go back where you belong…"

"Where I belong is back aboard my ship, the Abecean," he cut in, "You have no hope of defeating me, mortal. So how about a little... Bargain?"

She doesn't know what possessed her, but she found herself saying "I'm listening..."

"Years back, I had to ferret away some booty nearby. We'd sunk an Imperial Galleon off the coast. Good plunder, but we needed to travel light," he paused. "We stashed what we couldn't carry, and I hid it with a trick I know. I can point you in the right direction, and we'll each go our separate ways."

"How do I even release you? The last kids who tried, you killed!"

"That was a different time! They are now in Oblivion and cannot be brought back, but you... All you have to do is say "Velehk Sain, I release you.", and "Poof!", I'm on my way."

_"YOU ARE ABOUT TO RELEASE A FUCKING DREMORA INTO THE WORLD, YOU FOOL!" _her subconscious was screaming at her now.

"I... Velehk Sain... I release you," she said hesitantly.

"There's a smart lass. Take the map. The loot's hidden there. It'll show itself when you get near," and like promised, he went poof.

She looked at the map, "Cyrodiil. Are you kidding me? The Shrine of Sanguine in Cyrodiil?" she shouted at no one. This was not going to be fun.

* * *

The days after had been quite uneventful. She went about her classes as usual, spending most of her time with Archmage Deneth and eventually becoming close friends.

But on the 2nd of Sun's Dawn, 3E 424, she had received a letter, along with her mother's ruby rose necklace, from the Skaal.

_Sanguine,_

_I'm so sorry to write you on these terms, but there's something you must know. Your parents… They have fallen victim to the Morag Tong. Their bodies were found on the 31st of Morning Seed. No one knows who put out the contract or why, but I was able to make my way into the Temple and took her necklace, knowing you would want a piece of her with you. I'm so sorry for your loss, Sang. Write back soon._

_~ H_

She collapsed as she read the letter again and again, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. _The Morag Tong? Who could have possibly wanted my parents dead? They didn't know anyone! Damn it!_ At the time, the organization had been dying down and the presence of the Dark Brotherhood was on the rise. Sanguine didn't know what to do with herself, simply feeling hollow.

One of the other college students had tried to make a move on her that night and wouldn't take no for answer, pinning her against a wall and grinding against his filthy body on her's. Cursed by a sadistic anger and grief, she led the naïve apprentice to her room with promises of pleasure and slit his throat as soon as the door closed. _That was… Wow. Sweet Sanguine, now what? _But realized that she had answered her own question, changing out of her bloody robes, she gathered her belonging and sneaked down to the Winterhold inn to plan her next move.

* * *

"Gods, give me strength," she whispered, walking into the inn and kicking the snow off of her boots.

"Sanguine! I haven't seen you weeks!" the cheery innkeeper shouted across the room. He was a kind Nord fellow named Jesper. Moving out from behind the counter, he strode towards her and scooped her up into a bear hug. "Where have you been?"

"Studying like crazy," she laughed, hoping it didn't sound as forced as it felt. Thankfully, he had bought it and managed brightened her mood just bit. She never thought anyone so tall and imposing could be so sweet. "Sadly, I have to leave town,"

"Where ya headed?"

As if on cue, the map that Velehk gave her fell onto the floor. She looked at it and smiled, "Cyrodiil. I'm going to Cyrodiil."

"Cyrodiil?" he exclaimed. "Why?"

"I guess I just want to see the world," she lied smoothly. It wasn't a complete lie. She could hardly tell him that she is going to find daedric treasure, now could she?

"Well, may Mara guide you. Would you like a room? Probably best to sleep before you make your way out,"

It was a tempting offer, but they would find the body soon and she didn't want to risk being here when they did. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'll be alright,"

He shot her a surprised glance, but didn't protest. "Well, at least do me a favor and take this. Our little secret," he winked, handing her a potion bottle. When she opened it, she swore she could've melted. Elsweyr Fondue.

"I can't take th…" she started, but he just waved her off.

"It's nothing. Plus, it will be of a lot more use to you than me."

Thanking him profusely, she ordered some sweet rolls and made her way off to the Shrine of Sanguine in Cyrodiil.

* * *

The trip hadn't been terrible. A few bandits here and there, and once she got to Whiterun, she camped out with the Khajiits caravans outside the city walls. She found it much more comfortable than going into the massive town. Honestly, she'd never seen so many people in one place. Winterhold wasn't much more populated than Raven Rock, when she left. But there had to have been dozens, if not hundreds, of people within the structure.

"An albino Dunmer?" one of the cats asked with curiosity. She couldn't remember his name, but he had been kind enough, lending her some furs to sleep on and making her moon sugar tea mixed with Jazbay Grapes.

"Yep!" Sanguine giggled, the tea clearly going to her head. "It's a rare birth defect among our race. Only a handful has ever been recorded in history." All he did was nod to this.

For the rest of the night, not many words were spoken aside from some idle chit chat. But as time progressed, one cup of tea turned into two, then three, until she was dancing around the fire singing drinking songs she learned back on Solstheim. She wasn't entirely sure how she managed not to fall into the fire; the world had seemed to restlessly shift beneath her. Somewhere in the mix, she had finally laid down and went to sleep and in the morning took a carriage the rest of the way.

* * *

It turned out that Velehk wasn't lying, close to the Shrine a tree had started to glow faintly; when she walked up to it a door to a compartment popped out. Inside there were gems and gold aplenty. "Huh, the bastard told the truth." Stuffing the loot deep in her pack, she turned around and looked at the Shrine.

Her mother had been a stronger worshiper of Sanguine, the Daedric Prince of Debauchery, which is where her middle name came from. She decided to follow in her mother's footsteps, buying a bottle of Cyrodiilic Brandy and against all better judgment; she tried to summon him. She sat at the shrine, smoking grass out of a wooden pipe and began to down the brandy.

"This is to you, my lord," she was already feeling a little out of it and knocked backed another mouth-full. "I'll admit, I've never been good at the religious stuff. But I suppose I don't have anywhere else to turn, she took them from me. Mephala took my parents and I'm... I'm just lost. Please, Sanguine, hear me."

She spent hours doing this, reciting multiple incantations that she had learned from her mother and had nearly given up until a man named Sam Guevenne walked up behind her with two bottles and a staff shaped like a rose, but the flower was black instead of red. He too had come to speak Sanguine.

"Are you alright, little elf?"

"I'm jus' gonna go with yes. What brings you here friend?" she smiled in a drunken haze.

"It is a tradition of mine!"

"Well, perhaps you will have more luck than me."

With that, they spent more time praying to their god until Sam offered her a bottle to drown her sorrows.

"Er…what is it?" she asked, eyeing it suspiciously.

"A special brew that has been passed down through family. I do warn you, it's a bit strong," he slurred with a Cheshire grin.

_Why not? Not like things could get any worse._ She decided to down it, but felt wrong; her vision became hazy and she felt very weak. The last thing remembered was Sam catching her as she passed out and saying "I've heard your prayers, little Elf."

* * *

When Sanguine woke, she had found herself in an abandoned house in Cheydinhal with an ebony dagger pressed to her throat and bound to a bed. The man holding the dagger to her throat had been none other than Lucien Lachance, Speaker of the Cheydinhal, Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary. But, unfortunately, she did not know this.

"You've been causing quite the ruckus, Little Elf." he growled in her ear.

Her heart felt like it was going to pound out of her chest. She didn't know how she got there or where she was in the first place. Just a nightmarish, dark room and the man's weight pressing on her chest.

"Please, I beg you. I don't know how I got here. A man, Sam Guevenne, he gave me this drink and I passed out, I don't remember anything," she explained, desperation clear in her voice.

"Don't remember, do you? Well, let's see if we can refresh your memory," he began pressing the dagger harder against her skin; she whimpered, feeling the blood start to trickle down her neck. "Today is the second of First Seed, 3E 424. I've heard quite a bit about you. Yes, the insane Harley Quinn that came out of the Strange Door with the head of the Gatekeeper of the Gates of Madness and a rose-shaped staff, pouncing on a guard, kissing his cheek, and driving your dagger into his throat. Only to walk the streets at night kill dozens of _innocent_ people and bandits. But there was no proof, so the guards could not arrest you. You have talent, I'll admit, but I don't like people stealing my business." He sneered at the word innocent, his voice becoming as cold as the Void. She hadn't realized that she was wearing something that resembled a jester's motley and felt vaguely self-conscious at how little it left to the imagination.

"Please, I don't remember, I didn't know!" she cried, but the dagger bit into her skin more and tears started to flow. The cruel part was that she wanted know. She wanted to remember spilling the blood and she wanted to feel the rush as she watched the life drain out of their eyes. "Who are you?"

"I am the Speaker of the Dark Brotherhood," he laughed. "Can you see why your little… stunt may have cause a few problems?"

"The Dark Brother- oh…" This is not what she expected and she it began to dawn on her that she may not walk out of this room alive. "You're going to kill me." It was more of a statement than a question, but she didn't get an answer. Just silence.

"Most likely... However, you could be of use to me..." he paused for a moment. "How would you feel about killing on command and getting paid for it?" _What?_

"Wait… Are you… Did you just offer me a chance to join the Dark Brotherhood?"

"Yes. When I told you that you murdered dozens of people, it didn't affect you and you managed to do so without getting caught. Talent like that shouldn't go to waste."

"I… Oh… Yes," she breathed, it wasn't the most honorable thing to do, but she acquired a new taste for blood. Now she could satisfy her cravings and get paid. She felt the dagger lift off of her throat and her binds being released. Feeling uneasy in darkness, she hesitantly cast a Candlelight making the Speaker spin around, dagger ready. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It was dark!" she panicked.

"Warn me before you do that in the future," he hissed. He sat up on the bed, offering her a rag for her neck, it was just a flesh wound, but it helped. "Now, this is how things are going to work…"

He told her that she would start as a low rank Murderer, and she would have to kill on command. The better she did, the higher rank she would become. The ranking system went Murderer, Slayer, Eliminator, Assassin, Executioner, Silencer, Speaker and Listener. The Listener rank was the highest and her word was law. She heard the words of the Night Mother, their unholy matron, which is then passed to the Speakers of the sanctuaries and delivered as pleased, unless it was specified otherwise. He also mentioned a set of rules to follow called the Five Tenets:

1. Never dishonor the Night Mother. To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis.

2. Never betray the Dark Brotherhood or its secrets. To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis.

3. Never disobey or refuse to carry out an order from a Dark Brotherhood superior. To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis.

4. Never steal the possessions of a Dark Brother or Dark Sister. To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis.

5. Never kill a Dark Brother or Dark Sister. To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis.

"What is your name?"

"Mirabella Sanguine Zucchero. But I have always been called Sanguine."

"Are you sure you are ready?"

"Yes, I'm ready," These words gave promise of a new life. She grabbed her staff and he had taken her down into the basement and went through a secret passage way, revealing a Black Door.

"What... is the color... of night?"

The corner of Lucien's mouth twitched a little as he looked at the door and whispered "Sanguine, my brother."

"Welcome... home..." it hissed. Her jaw had hit the floor when she heard it, she asked him if that was really the pass-phrase and it was. Apparently, each Sanctuary had a Black Door with a different pass-phrase for security reasons. So, if she tried to get into another one with that pass-phrase, it would deem her unworthy.

Her new family had welcomed her with open arms and she had begun her assassin training immediately. Usually, Sanguine trained with Lucien. He was a perfectionist, which made him a tough teacher. He mostly taught her the arts of Sneak, One-Handed and Archery, but she also studied a lot of Alchemy in her spare time. There had been more than one occasion when she'd stay up for days due to the long training sessions with her Speaker and her love of alchemy. But she was thankful because his strict and cruel nature had paid off in the end.

After only two years of being in the Brotherhood, she went from Murderer rank to becoming Cheydinhal's Silencer and Lucien's right hand woman. This caused a little tension between her and some of the other members, but it faded rather quickly. By this time, she had also become the sanctuary alchemist; her poisons were lethal and her invisibility potions were the best around, mending her touchy reputation.

* * *

On the New Life's Day 3E 429, she was assigned a contract to go to a masquerade and murder the noble hosting it; Her Speaker had accompanied due to the tedious nature of the contract and to make for a better cover. It was her first high profile infiltration and she needless to say, she was terribly nervous. Nonetheless, that night she found herself in a flowing, silk crimson gown, accented by a black under bust corset and long lacey sleeves that hung flirtatiously off her shoulders. Her hair was done in a traditional Cyrodiilian side braid with several rose-shaped rubies pinned into it to match her necklace and a couple hair strands dangling in front of her face. Because her hair was black, it contrasted in the most beautiful way against her pale skin. Ocheeva had been kind enough to add black lace embroidery to her dress as well, but was irritably persistent in convincing her to wear makeup.

"You will look better than Mephala herself! Even Lucien may appreciate it…"

"What makes you think I care about what our Speaker thinks of my appearance? This is business."

"Oh come now Sanguine, he has not went on a true contract since he became Speaker!" she exclaimed and shook her head. "Now you're going out on one that will have you looking like a goddess and he just so happens to tag along because 'It's your first high-profile contract.' Contract my eye! Sweetheart, he wants to see you dressed up in your finest clothes, only to have the dark fantasies about what you'd look like with them on the floor."

"Oh hush! He wants nothing of the sort," she blushed furiously.

"Oh really? Do you not see the way he acts towards you? He is kind to you, Sang! I have never, EVER seen that man smile, at least not until you came to this sanctuary and to put the icing on the cake, he actually let's you near him. I'm pretty sure that if anyone else tried to even shake his hand, he'd rip it clean off. But with you? He's playful and lively, by Sithis you could almost call him caring."

She tried to ignore what the Argonian said, yet she couldn't help but wonder. Could he really care? Could the cruel, inhuman, murderer known as Lucien Lachance really be interested in her? She didn't know. Brought back from her thoughts by a series incessant begging, she had caved and let Ocheeva line her eyes in black charcoal and paint her lips red. Once she was satisfied with Sanguine's appearance, she produced a pair of black high-heeled shoes and practically tackled her to get them on.

"These are in no way necessary!" she seethed. She'd never liked shoes with high heels, but her Sister had brought up a valid point; it was a high class masquerade and almost every woman there would be wearing them. She decided there was no point in fighting with her and after making a few more adjustments, she set out to find Lucien.

He'd been finishing up some final touches as well, with his hair hanging slightly in black lined eyes, nearly matching hers, yet they still showed a promise of death. He usual shrouded robes were replaced by a fine black coat and white button-up, along with a red cravat that he had been failing miserably at tying. Suppressing her urge to laugh, she gently turned him around and tied it properly. Sanguine didn't know if it was the surprise at the physical contact or possible appreciation of her appearance, but she managed to earn a brief, wide-eyed look.

"Thank you. You'd think after 12 years, I would know how to do that."

"Practice makes perfect love."

"Yes… Indeed it does." She felt there was a different meaning behind his words, but decided it was best to leave it alone. "Enough of that, here take these." He proceeded to hand her a mask and a black garter with an ebony dagger attached, in its sheath. The mask was red velvet with black rose stitched into one side and its ties were replaced by black iron so it could slide into her hair, without messing it up, but it paled into comparison to the beautiful dagger she was holding.

"Are you… Why would – Thank you," she managed to get out.

"You're quite welcome, Silencer," Lucien bowed in a traditional Cyrodillian fashion. "Are you ready to leave?"

"I believe so." With that, she carefully put on her mask and slid her new dagger up her leg, earning a nice eyebrow raise from her Speaker. Trying to hold back a smug smile, she took Lucien's arm and set off to the masquerade.

* * *

End Chapter Notes:

Elsweyr Fondue is probably one of the best food items you could make in Skyrim. It is great for mages due to the crazy magic bonuses. He gave it to her in a potion bottle for traveling purposes.

Cyrodillian braid- It's just a French braid.

The mask is worn almost like a pair of glasses.


	3. Several Shades of Sanguine - Part Two

Author Notes:

This chapter is ripe with plenty of blood, guts and a steamy night in the Sanctuary.

* * *

"That was amazing!" Sanguine breathed. "I didn't think you could dance!"

She had still been reeling from her last kill. The rush she got when she sunk a dagger into flesh was an unmatched pleasure and left her buzzing and breathless for hours. The contract had gone without a hitch. Lucien and Sanguine had danced most of the night, but the host of the party was a greedy man and caught sight of her. So, the fool asked her to dance and after heavy amounts of flirting, he took her back to his parlor. She had went along with it for a time, but she was a hunter and mama always told her not to play with her food.

"Such a shame, you could've been fun," she growled. The man looked up at her, eyes full of confusion. With a smile, she kissed him and shoved her dagger between his ribs, piercing his heart. The taste of his blood was on her tongue as she cleaned her dagger on his clothes, took a quick look in the mirror and walked out.

Lucien had already taken care of the guards and didn't hide it either. They were laid on the floor in bloody heaps with their internal organs spread all over the ground. She was going to ask if he was okay, it was a terribly brutal kill, but they had to leave before someone noticed. Luckily, there was a back door they had sneaked out and walked back to the sanctuary. Instead of going back in the sanctuary though, they decided to stay back in the abandoned house and smoke some grass with a nice bottle of Colovian Brandy that Sanguine had snagged from the party.

"It was something alright."

"Are you feeling well, LooLoo?" It was an odd pet name she had given him a few weeks back, sometimes it annoyed him and sometimes it didn't. This was one of those times.

"Don't fucking call me that!" he roared, pinning her up against the wall. "I am your Speaker and you will respect me as such!"He held her there a moment, promises of death shadowed his face. It was a side of him she wasn't used to, or at least not towards her anyway. She had seen him in the torture room many times and occasionally, he would snap towards other Brotherhood members, but never her.

"Forgive me, Speaker," she choked out, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "I have misread the situation in thinking we were closer than our titles. I should have known my place."

His eyes widened and he released her. Taking another hit from the pipe and promptly knocking back a mouth full of brandy, he whispered "I do not get close to people."

Sanguine wasn't really sure whether or not it would be wise to speak, so she lit an alchemy stick and thought for a moment. He looked so broken and run down and she still couldn't figure out why he had been so miserable since they left the party. The man who was usually so well composed now sat before her, shirt hanging open and exposing his chest, his hair falling in his eyes, looking as though he could have a meltdown at any given time.

"Speaker, if you would prefer to be alone…" she hesitated. He didn't answer for a long while, simply staring at the bottle in his hands and taking a swig here and there. He looked like he wanted to say something, but simply couldn't find the words.

Smoking the rest of the pipe, she ungracefully got to her feet and decided it was probably best that she left. She looked at him again; a mixture of anger and sorrow painted across his face, and decided to sit down on the bed next to him, for a moment.

"Caring about people does not make one weak," she whispered. "Speaker… It keeps us alive and reminds us of our humanity." She mustered the courage to plant a gentle kiss on his cheek and stood up to leave, but he had grabbed her hand and pinned her to the bed.

"How can you say that?" he cried, tears were carelessly streaming down his face now. "We are murders! We don't care for life, we take it! We have no humanity!"

"Don't we? Lucien, you may take lives without question, but do you not come home to a family every night? Do you not call us your Dark brothers and sisters? Did you not spare my life?" His grip loosened and she took advantage, flipping him on his back and straddling him. She too, had begun to cry and was on the verge of shouting. "Tell me, Speaker! Are we truly not human?"

He just looked at her and she watched as the emotions ran across his face.

"Silencer, remove yourself. Now." The pain was replaced by a murderous glare that would send most people running, but Sanguine wasn't most people.

"No. I want to hear you say it. Tell me we aren't human. Tell me you don't care." Her voice was colder than ice and her body was trembling, not in fear of him, but in fear of hearing that she was alone. That she lived 5 years under the false belief that someone might have cared for her and at least been her friend.

The next thing she knew, she was on her back again with an ebony dagger to her throat and 5 foot 10 inches of seething Imperial weighing down on her chest. "Hold your fucking tongue, wench!"

"You… deserve to… know… that you aren't… alone… Lucien."The lack of air was starting to take its toll on her and began making her light headed. There was a pause…

_Slash/ _Suddenly, the pressure disappeared and his lips were claiming hers, one hand entangled in her hair and the other cupping her arse. She'd let out moan and he took full advantage, his tongue exploring her mouth. He'd not been gentle either, abandoning her lips and biting down the length of her neck and collar bone; his hands snaked their way up to her corset, slowly unlacing it while he continued his assault in a way that made her weak. Tossing it off to the side, he picked her up off the bed and pinned her up against the wall from behind. _Yes, oh Sithis, please use me and don't hold back… I've never felt a man's touch before, I need it, please._

"Now, I am going to unlace these dreadful pants and then I am going to fuck your mouth until I am pleased, is this clear?" he growled, grinding his cock up against her backside.

"Yes, sir," Sanguine gasped.

"Sir, huh? I rather like the sound of that," he smiled, and backed away from her. "Get on your knees and do not move or speak until I say." She obliged without question, kneeling on the floor and placing her hands behind her back. She watched as he unsheathed an erection that could've put half the Nords in Skyrim to shame, and began rubbing it lightly in front of her. He went on like this for a time, gently running himself along her lips, yet pulling away every time she tried to take him in her mouth.

"Please, Lucien – oh!" He'd grabbed by her hair, forcing her to look up at him.

"What did I say about speaking?" His eyes were dark and hungry and she could tell he wanted her as much as she did him. _Hmm… I wonder…_ Without a word, she removed her hands from behind her back and hit him with a paralysis spell, catching him as he fell. The look of pure anger on his face told her that she would pay, but in the mean time... She moved him to bed and let her dress fall to the floor; the chill in the air sent shivers down her spine and did the most wonderful things to her nipples.

"My apologies… _Sir,"_ she grinned sadistically, before placing her lips around him and gently sucking, flicking her tongue along the tip. Although he couldn't move, she heard his breath picking up speed and it made her suck harder. She continued doing this until she heard a low moan; the spell was wearing off. She twirled her tongue around the tip again, wrapping her hand around his member and pushing him into her mouth. Pressing her tongue against his shaft, she moved her head up and down, twisting her hand as she sucked. His body was begging to move underneath her, slightly shifting upward as she worked and teased him. _Not bad for a first time… Let's play a little._

"Not just yet, Sugar. We are just getting started," Sanguine whispered, trailing light kisses up Lucien's fine cut body. She started at his naval, moving up his chest and along his collarbone then placing a few bites along his neck. She variated between gentle nipping and kissing, grinding herself against his cock and sinking her teeth into the base of his neck. She loved the way he writhed and moaned, not completely paralyzed, but just enough to give her control.

She decided it had been long enough and turned her attention back to his impressive erection. Supporting herself on his thighs, she took him in her mouth again, clamping her lips around the base and slowly working her way to the tip. She repeated this several times, sucking and swirling her tongue around his head before working her way back down him.

The spell on Lucien almost completely wore off, and he was now running his hands through her hair, forcing her head down harder. "Please…Fuck… Sanguine..." he breathed, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. She could feel him in the back of her throat and the faint taste of salt on her tongue, it was driving her insane. She, Sanguine Zucchero, had Speaker Lucien Lachance, moaning her name and at her mercy; that gave her a pleasure like no other.

"Sanguine… I'm going to... – fuck," she pushed him all the way into her mouth, carefully baring her teeth and sending him over the edge; he cried out incoherently, thrusting into her mouth as he came. With a grimace, she had swallowed, and simply stared down, awaiting her punishment.

Lucien was still catching his breath, but the look on his face told her that she was in for it. "Bend the fuck over. Now," he seethed.

She obeyed, silently getting up and bending over the bed. She watched as he pulled the leather string out of her corset. _Oh sweet Sithis._ She felt like this was wrong. Like she should be fighting him, yet she found herself placing her hands behind her back and allowed him to bind them.

"The safe word is rose," he hissed in her ear and thrust his fingers inside of her.

"Oh Gods, yes," she breathed.

"Be. Quiet." he growled, punctuated by a firm slap on the arse. She yelped at the impact, but it only made her wetter.

"Oh, like it rough do you?" He spanked her harder and she moaned, grinding against his fingers. "Do you want to come?" _Yes. Sweet Night Mother, please. I need to come. _She tried to say it, but her words came out in a slur of gasping and whimpering.

"Come on, Sanguine," he spoke in a low menacing voice, breath becoming ragged. "Say you want me to fuck you."

"Please," she whispered. Lucien removed him fingers from her, and started playing with her clit, rubbing his erection against her wet folds.

"I'll need a little more than that…" he gave her another smack on the arse, making her eyes water slightly.

Then something snapped and she couldn't take it anymore. "Fuck… Fuck me, Lucien," she panted, "Please, Sithis, it's been so long, please." She could hear his breath catch in his throat as the words left her lips and pressed her hips up against him, making his cock slid inside of her, just a little.

He hissed in pleasure and mercilessly drove her cock into her; Sanguine cried out as she felt her innocence tear away. He was long and thick and her pain soon gave way to extreme pleasure as he rammed into her again and again.

"That's a good girl, take it, scream my fucking name," Lucien growled, one hand on her hip the other holding the binds around her wrists for momentum. He spanked her arse hard and grabbed her hips, deeply grinding in to her. _Oh yes, please don't stop, I'm so close. _He was hitting spots that she didn't know she had and it was nearly pushing her over the edge. He lost his control and began roughly thrusting in and out of her, finding her clit again and caressing her breasts, moaning her name over and over. Sanguine's name on his lips was her undoing. Her walls clamped around him and she came, calling out his name into the mattress. He followed soon, sharply thrusting into her again as he filled her with seed and collapsed on the bed next to her.

"Well that was… unexpected," she breathed, turning her back to him so he could undo her binds.

"Are you complaining?"

"Definitely not, quite the opposite, to be honest. I've just never been with a man..."

"Wait... What?" he stared at her incredulously.

"Er... well, I've been with plenty of women... I just never had interest in men."

"So, you are... Or were, a virgin?"

"I guess you could call it that..." she hesitated.

"Well, I hope I left a good first impression," he smiled smugly and she returned it.

They laid there for a moment, catching their breath, before getting dressed and returning to the Sanctuary, vaguely aware of the bruises forming on both their necks and chests; poor Sanguine couldn't sit or walk straight for almost a solid week. /_Slash_

So started the relationship between Sanguine Zucchero and Lucien LaChance. It was an odd occurrence with plenty of smiles and murder. After two years, he bought her a ring and asked the words nearly every woman wanted to hear. It was simple, with a thin silver band and a ruby where the diamond should have been. The ceremony was very simple as well, but it was more than Sanguine could've hoped for. Ocheeva had been planning the surprise after-party for weeks. With dozens of roses and nightshade spread all across the Sanctuary, the best drink in Cyrodiil and smiles all around, the Dark Brotherhood had partied the night away.

* * *

Only a year later had there been multiple murders of Black Hand members and Lucien ordered that Sanguine perform a purification on the Cheydinhal Sanctuary.

"A purifica – Oh Sithis. Lucien, please. Is there any other way…"

"No, we have to be sure."

She hated to do it, but he suspected the traitor was among them. She went into their sanctuary that night and drugged their food, slitting each one's throat while they were passed out. She paused at Ocheeva with tears in her eyes. _This woman stood by me for years, planned my wedding and the reception. She is the reason I took a chance with Lucien… _But she knew her place and murdered her Dark Sister, crying hysterically. It was a terrible experience, to be covered in the blood of those you came to love.

She returned to Lucien and cried for days with cruel nightmares of her dead family. But even after the purification, the murders hadn't stopped. Lucien guessed the next victim, but was too late. He found the Listener dead at the foot of the Lucky Old Lady statue in Bravil. Angrily, he had blamed Sanguine, but as he saw that she didn't know what he was talking about, he realized that someone had survived the purification.

He tried to explain this to the other Black Hand members, but they believed he was the traitor and sentenced him to death. She had begged and pleaded with them not to kill her husband. But Speaker Arquen had simply back handed her and told her it was the way of the Brotherhood. They were not to be trifled with. As punishment for her back talk, she was held back and forced to watch as they stripped him and hung him upside down from the ceiling. She had screamed and fought, but the harder she fought, the harder the punished her, too. They stripped her as well and every time she would lash out, they whipped her. This went on for hours as they tortured Lucien, mutilating him beyond recognition. In the end, Arquen had cut out his heart and forced Sanguine to eat it. She was left there, weak from the bloody gashes in her back, sobbing hopelessly over Lucien's corpse.

* * *

A few hours later, a thief had sneaked into the farm and found her nearly dead. He poured every healing potion he had down her throat before carrying her back to a camp he had set up nearby. She stayed there for days while he nursed her back to health and buried Lucien's body outside of the farm. When she had gotten her strength back, she had a cruelty to her that would take many lives. She strangled the thief and made her way to Bravil, where she knew they'd be determining the next listener. They'd been surprised to see her, but with the Brotherhood in such desperate times, they allowed her to attend.

Midway through ceremony, Mathieu Bellamont, Silencer to Alval Uvani, attacked the Night Mother. When he saw that she couldn't truly be harmed, he turned on the Speakers, murdering Banus, Arquen, and Belisarius and then made the mistake of turning on Sanguine. She hit him with a paralysis spell and drugged him, then dragged him out of the Night Mother's quarters and took him to Applewatch.

When he woke, he was naked and tied to a table; his Achilles tendons were cut so he couldn't run away, even if he managed to break free. She embedded iron nails underneath his fingers and toe nails, and then gave him a potion to increase the rate he healed at. Only to cut open his chest, while he was still alive and rip out his sternum. Because of how potent the potion was, this didn't kill him, although it brought him rather close. After casting a bit of healing magic on him, she took his lungs out of his body and placed them on either side of him, laughing as he screamed in agony. Once she was entertained enough, she ripped his heart out and shoved it down his throat.

"That was for my husband," she whispered and then left him to the Void. When she walked out of the farm house, she saw that Nightshade was growing over Lucien's grave. She blew him one last kiss and made her way back to Cheydinhal.

When she arrived, members from other sanctuaries were there to greet her. Seeing as to how she was Silencer and Lucien's wife, they named her Speaker. It took a while to get the sanctuary running with the Oblivion Crisis afoot. She had traveled Cyrodiil, murdering people by the dozen in the cruelest of ways and taking revenge on anyone unlucky enough to cross her path. She returned on New Life's Day, the first day of the fourth era. A new listener had been chosen and she rebuilt her sanctuary, thriving for decades to come and serving as Speaker for the next 188 years.

In 4E 168 Emperor Titus Mede the II ascended to the throne and inherited a weak empire. Valenwood and Elsweyr were gone, ceded to the Thalmor. Black Marsh had been lost to Imperial rule since the Oblivion Crisis. Morrowind still suffered the aftermath of the eruption of Red Mountain. Hammerfell was plagued by infighting between Crowns and Forebearers. Only High Rock, Cyrodiil and Skyrim remained peaceful and prosperous.

But on the 30th of Frostfall 4E 171, all hell broke loose. The Aldmeri Dominian sent an ambassador to the Imperial City with a gift in a covered cart and an ultimatum for the new Emperor. Their list of demands was endless, including the disbandment of the Blades (a league of dragon hunters and body guards of the Emperor) and banning the worship of Talos. Despite his general's warnings, he refused the Thalmor's offer. The ambassador then opened the back of the cart and over a hundred heads spilled out onto the floor. They executed all of the Blades in the Summerset Isles and Valenwood. So began the Great War that would torture the land over the next five years. It ended with the signing of the White-Gold Concordat, but unintentionally wreaked havoc on the Dark Brotherhood.

In 4E 186, the Bruma Sanctuary was invaded and destroyed. The only survivor was a talented Imperial assassin, Cicero di Rossi. His talents were proven quickly and within only months of being in the Sanctuary, he was named Silencer. By this time, a new listener was named, Alisanne Dupre. But things were falling quickly for the Brotherhood.

Sanguine had traveled to the Wayrest Sanctuary in High Rock, simply to see how they were holding up through the turmoil. While she was there, she took on a contract for a young girl, Lysona. Her parents were slaughtered by bandits and she used a decent chunk of her inheritance to take revenge, asking Sanguine to take out the entire camp. It was the first contract she had been on in over a century and was more than happy to oblige. That night, she sneaked into the camp and all they saw was her twisted smile before she killed them and sent them to the Void. She gave the Chief a special treatment. Sneaking into his room and binding him to the bed while he slept, then woke him up and made him watch as she cut open his belly and attempted to strangle him with his own intestines. It hadn't gone so well, they were too slimy and slippery, so she settled for gouging out his eyes, cutting off all of his fingers and leaving him to bleed out. Lysona had paid handsomely for her services and thanked her profusely. Sanguine was about to leave when…

"Wait! Please. Take me with you," the girl cried out.

"What?" She turned around to see her on her knees, crying.

"Take me with you, let me join the Brotherhood. Please, I have nothing left," She looked absolutely pathetic, yet Sanguine found herself feeling sorry for the girl. She knew what is was like to lose your parents and to have nowhere else to turn, hence the events at the Shrine of Sanguine, once upon a time.

"Do you know what you're asking, girl? Have you ever even killed anyone?"

"It's how I preformed the sacrament," she smiled.

She sat down for moment and explained that it wasn't all peaches and cream. She would have to kill people. No matter whom it was, whether she knew them or not, she had to carry out the contracts given. The girl seemed to understand and still wanted it. After careful thought on Sanguine's part, she explained the tenets and hierarchy of the Brotherhood. She warned her multiple times, not knowing if she'd be able to handle the blood and gore of an assassin's life, but she was an orphan. The Brotherhood was the closest thing she would get to a family and that hit a soft spot. Eventually, she caved and agreed to take her back to Cheydinhal with her. They stopped at the Wayrest Sanctuary one more time, to turn in the contract and made their way home.

* * *

Lysona had actually done pretty well. She was light on her feet and learned rather quickly. Within about 6 months, she was trained enough to be sent out on contracts and made her way up to Executioner rank. She also had a very thorough knowledge of Restoration magic and soon became very popular amongst her dark brothers and sisters.

On the 27th of Sun's Height, 4E 188, the Wayrest Sanctuary was raided and destroyed by corsairs, there had been no survivors and the Corinthe Sanctuary in Elsweyr was to be closed. It was a dark day for the Brotherhood, indeed, and plans were being made to welcome their family from the closed sanctuary. A little over a month later, they'd received a letter from Bravil; violence was erupting within the city. The listener had been forced to hire sell swords to protect her home.

"Speaker," Lysona whispered, peeping her around door to Sanguine's work room. "You have a letter from Bravil."

"What?" She took the letter from her, briefly reading through it before turning around and flipping over her table.

The things in Bravil came to a head. The Lucky Old Lady statue had been destroyed and the listener had gone to protect the crypt of the Night Mother. Sanguine had to send Garnag and Andronica to aid them in their defense. Cicero begged her to go, but they needed the defense in Cheydinhal. A couple weeks later, paranoia was starting to grow they hadn't received word from Bravil, but that night, their fears were confirmed. Garnag came back, bloody and broken, with the Night Mother. Her crypt had been raided, Andronica slaughtered and cut into pieces, and the listener fell victim to a storm of mage fire. This was the beginning of the true fall of the Dark Brotherhood.

* * *

End Chapter Notes:

An alchemy stick is basically a cigarette and it's a term used by some LARPers (Live Action Role Players).

If you haven't guessed it already, grass is the equivalent of pot, figured debauched little Sanguine would make a lovely stoner in worship of her Lord.

I'm not sure if Cicero's full name is Cicero di Rossi, but I have read it a few times and do not own any rights to it.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Oblivion, a purification is basically when a Sanctuary is wiped clean and all of the Brotherhood associates inside are killed.


End file.
